Push bar and latch for swinging closures



Y Oct. 16

1934- H. K. MEls 1,977 344 PUSH BAR 'AND LATCH'FOR VSWINGINGr GLOSURES Filed Nov. 24', 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 16, 1934. H. K. MEls 1,977,344

PUSH B'AR AND LATCH FOR SWINGING CLOSURES Filed-Nov. 24, 1933 2' Sheets-Sheet 2 adapted to coact with Patented Oct. 16, 1934 1,971,344 PUSH nan ANp LATCH Foa swrNGlNG oLosUaEs l Henry K. Meis,"1ecumsch, (lkla.

Application November 24,

4Claims.

The invention relates to devices adapted to be mounted on screen doors and the like and providing a push bar for opening the door and a keeper means to automatically catch and hold he door in closed position, means being'also provided to nxedly latch the door, said means cooperating with the push bar or bolt.

A further object of the invention is the provision oi' a device adapted to be mounted on a swinging closure and its i'rame comprising a bar slidably mounted relatively to the closure and a keeper on the frame to hold the door in fixed and latchedposition, a swinging keeperl member being alsov provided on the door frame and engageable with the bar or bolt when the door is closed and moving inwardly voi the door beyond the center of gravity to hold the door in a closed position against casual displacement, yielding means being provided to permit the keeper member to swing and its free end to describe an arc while engaged with the bar or bolt.

The invention will be described in detail hereinafter and willbe found illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary view of the inside o! a screen `door and its frame showing a preferred form oi' the push bar and latch in position thereon, parts broken away and in section,

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 2 2 of Figure l,

. Figures 3 and 4 are sectional details on planes indicated by the lines 3 3, and 4 4, of Figure 1, Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on a plane indicated by the line 5 5 o! Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view of a screen door and frame showing a modiiled form of latching means,

Figures 7 and 8 are vertical sectional views on planes indicated by the lines 7 7, and 8 8, respectively, of Figure 6, and

Figure 9 is a horizontal sectional view on a plane indicated by the line 9 9 of Figure 8.

In the drawings similar reference characters are used to designate corresponding parts in all the views.

For the purpose of illustrating the application of the invention, a screen door and its frame have been selected, although it will be apparent that the device may be used with any swinging closure, the screen door being designated atv 10 and 'the frame designated 11. Secured to the door 10 is an L-shaped bracket 12 and a U-shaped bracket 13, the L-shaped bracket being provided with an opening 14 to receive a bolt or bar 15, said bolt .11, said spring to return 4swinging keeper including an arm 21 1933, serial No. 699,604

or bar being supported in the U-shaped bracket 13, and is slidably mounted relatively to said bracket and also pivotally mounted relatively to the bracket 13 is a mounted on the pin or bolt 16 is an expansible coil spring 18 that normally holds the bolt or bar from swinging movement, as hereinbefore described. and also frictionany holds the bolt or bar from sliding g movement relatively to the brackets 12 and 13.

The projecting arm of the bracket 12 may also be utilized as shown in the drawings tot engage one end of spring 19 having its other end engaged as shown at 20 to the adjacent side of the trame 70 the door toa closed position after being opened.

As shown in the drawings, the bolt or bar l5 is tubular, and the `frame 11 is provided with a headed stud 20 projecting from the frame and adapted 75 to engage in the adjacent end ofthe bolt when slid relatively to the brackets 12 and 13, this providing a ilxed latching means for holding the door in closed position.

. An automatick latching means is also provided vand operates in cooperation with the bolt or bar 1'5, said automatic latching means comprising a pivotally mounted on a plate 22 secured to the frame 11, the plate 22 having its lower end vreturned as 35 shown at 23, to receive the pivoted end of the arm 21`between the plate and the returned portion 23. The arm 21 is offset adjacent to the plvot 24 to provide a shoulder 25 that by engaging the upper edge of the returned portion 23 limits @il the swinging of the arm 21 on the pivot 24 to hold the arm 21 and to limit its swinging on the pivot. The i'ree end oi' the arm 21 is provided with a notch 26 that receives the bolt or bar 15 when the arm 2l is in dotted line position as shown in Figure 4, 95 during the closing of the door, and by'swingingl past the center of gravity to the pivot 24 to the position shown in full lines in Figure 4, holds the door 10 in latched position. To permit the move ment of the ann 21 on its pivot and the end there- 100 of to describe an arc with the pivot as its center, the bolt or bar 15 swings slightly in the opening 14 oi' the L-shaped bracket 12 against the resistance of the spring 18, the resilience of the spring Y holding the bar in engagement with the notch 26 105 during said movement. The bolt or bar 15 may also be slid towards the frame ll and over the headed stud 20, and when in such position the' door will be xedly latched to prevent it being opened from the outside. In opening the door up from the inside, the bolt or bar is used as a handhold to push against the door, and when the door is opened the arm 21 will be swung on its pivot 24 outwardly of the frame 11 into the posi- .tion shown in dotted lines in Figure 4 and in position to be engaged by the bar when the door is released and is closed by the reaction of the spring 19 or other closing means.

In Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9 is shown a modified construction of the latching means, consisting of a bar 30-slidably mounted in the tubular guide 31 on a bracket 32 secured to the door 10, said bolt being engageable in a recess 33 in the frame 11 when the door is closed to iixedly latch the door. Pivotally mounted on a plate 34 secured to the frame 11 is a pivoted keeper arm 35, said plate being returned as shown at 36, and spaced from the plate to receive the pivoted end of the arm 35, 37 representing the pivot for said arm, and the arm' is offset to form a shoulder 38 that engages the vedge of said returned portion 36 to limit the swinging of the arm 35 as hereinbeiore described in relation to arm 2l, and the edge of the returned portion 23. Arm 35 is provided with an angular portion 39 that is substantially parallel with the offset shoulder 38, and the extremity of said angular portion 39 extends inwardly opposite to the arm 35 as shown at 40 and engages the plate 34.

Slidably mounted in the returned portion 38 and the angular portion 39, is a plunger 41, said plunger being preferably made of a strip of metal bent on itself intermediate of its ends as indicated in Figures 6 and 9, and provided with a notch 42 to receive the bolt 30. Plunger 41 has 'its lower end reduced as shown at 43 and providing shoulders 44 on opposite sides of the reduced portion, to receive the thrust of an expansible coil spring 45 mounted on said reduced portion 43, and terminally engaging the offset portion 38. To limit the movement of the plunger 4l under the impulse of the spring 45, it will be apparent that when the shoulders 44 are alined with the inner side of the angular portion 39 that the angular portion 39 will receive the thrust of the spring, and in addition thereto the extremities of the reduced portion 43 are slightly spread as shown at 46.

In this form of the invention the yielding means is carried by the pivoted keeper member, arm 35, so as to permit the latch member when in er1- gagement with the bolt 30 to swing on its pivot 37, otherwise the operation of the latch is identical with that hereinbefore described in relation to Figures 1 to 5, inclusive.

It will be apparent that instead of the bolt 15 being tubular that the end of the bolt may be provided with a socket or recess to receive the headed stud 20, and in fact any other means to fixedly latch the door by sliding the bolt into engagement with the keeper may be substituted for that shown and described. Also that other changes may be made in the construction of the device consistent with the hereinafter included claims, so that I do not limit myself to the specic structure as herein stated.

What I claim as my invention is:-

1. A door latch, comprising a keeper member pivotally mounted on a door frame, a bolt pivotally mounted on a door and engageable with the free end of said keeper member, and a spring engaging said bolt and holding it in yielding engagement with the keeper member to permit it to swing on its pivot during the opening and clos lo@ ing movements of the door.

2. A door latch as in claim 1, the free end ci the keeper member being prpvided with a notch to engage the bolt.

3. In combination with a swinging door and its 395 frame, brackets secured to the door, a. bolt slidably mounted on the brackets and pivotally mounted on one of the brackets, spring means engaging the bolt and another of said brackets and yieldingly holding the bolt from pivotal and 319 sliding movement, and a keeper member pivotally mounted on the frame and engaging the bolt when the door is closed.

4. In combination with a swinging door and its frame, an L-bracket secured to the door, a U- bracket also secured to the door, a bolt slidably mounted on the brackets and pivotally mounted in the L-bracket, a keeper member pivotedI on the door frame and having a notch in its free end to receive the bolt when the door is closed, and a spring engaging the bolt and holding it engaged in the notch.

HENRY K. MEIS. 

